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Hi Brit, You've come on a VSG forum where several of us, Wasa, Vamp, Elisabeth, Susan etc. are revisions from the band to VSG. So, I think all of us are probably going to tell you the same thing; revise to a VSG. I myself, feel like once you start having problems, to get another band is a waste of time. I think the research, especially after a slip, bears this out. Ultimately, it is your decision. Do your research, talk with your physician and do what you feel in your gut is right for you. I was banded in December of 2006, and was just revised in March. I was self pay with the band, and I was self pay with the sleeve. I did not have any problems with a slip or erosion, it just was not the right surgery for me. Still, I researched and read for almost two years before I came to the decision to revise, because I needed to be comfortable with my decision. Keep asking questions, and good luck with whatever you decide.

Elizabeth, Good idea. I already make my tomato soup with soymilk, (I have lactose intolerance, so I've been drinking soymilk for awhile), and I add shredded cheese to it. Both the cheese and soymilk have protein. I'm getting there. You will definitely have to get creative when you get to mushies because our new improved stomachs don't have much room. :smile:

Thankyou Kareyquilts, I was always hungry with my band, so I just learned to eat around it. The Sleeve is so different. I am 27 days out, and am starting to get hungry. But, when I eat I am getting full off of 3-4 bites. I had a good day today. I had a Protein shake for Breakfast, (otherwise I would not be getting in enough protein), for lunch, I had 3 bites of tuna fish salad. I have learned to take one bite, put my fork down, chew real well, and see if I want another bite. After the third bite, I felt like I had eaten a whole meal. It wasn't painful, but I was definitely full. :thumbdown:

Hi Oregondaisy, I had my revision on March the 11th. NOONE knew I had a lapband, and noone but one of my sisters knows I had a revision. My personal feeling is that it is noones business. I told my one sister just in case something happens where I end up unconscious or something, she can give my medical history information. Dr Rumbault did my lapband. I did not go to him for a revision because I felt he has not done enough VSGs yet; although, I had no technical problems with my band, it didn't slip or erode, it just didn't work for me. I am liking the VSG much better, even with having to learn to eat again.

Elisabeth, Yes, I can and do eat cheese, all kinds. I had some tunafish salad for lunch today, but I was full after three bites. I honestly don't see how people are getting in all their protein without supplementation. I think I will have to add some of that unjury protein, unflavored, in addition to the scoop of whey protein I put in there already to boost my uptake in my morning shake.

Congratulations MacMadame, I'm an avid cyclist too, (or was, I have two bicycles), and in a couple more weeks, I'll be riding. It must feel wonderful to have completed most of your goals.

That has been one of the hardest things for me, trying to find things I can tolerate. I finally found a protein mix that has 14g of protein and I mix it with my plain nonfat soymilk and that gives me 20g of protein in the morning. I am at the mushy stage but I can barely get down one scrambled egg, so I am continuing to supplement with the shakes. I think I am going to order some of that unflavored unjury from Vitalady, just to get my protein intake up. I was reading on another site that this doctor said if you don't get in all your protein, your body will start cannabalizing itself, because it's like being an anorexic, and that is scary.

Elisabeth, I do ICU and recovery room nursing. We still use droperidol here in New Orleans. For some people, its the only thing that works. We also used it when I did my contract in Indiana. This patient had irretractable vomiting and it was the only thing that stopped it. The intensivist at the hospital in Indiana was an anesthesiologist by training, so maybe that's why. In the recovery room, we try Zofran first, but after 8 mgs, it's droperidol all the way if the pt is still vomiting.

You can always go to Obesityhelp. They have a vertical sleeve forum and there are some sleeved Canadians. Just post your question over there and someone will chime in.

Must be something in the water we are drinking for the clear liquid part of the post op period: I was craving tomato soup and that was the first full liquid I had.

Thankyou. It's been wonderful pulling clothes out of boxes and being able to fit into them again. I have clothes all the way from a size 18 to a size 6.

Hi Nancy, Some sleeved people, not all, develop an intolerance for sweets. For some of us, it goes away with time. I am really happy to have this side effect since I had a super sweet tooth pre wls and with my band. My sweet tooth has always been my downfall. Like, for Easter, I would have already bought a big chocolate bunny and eaten it for dinner by now. With the sleeve, I look at all the Easter candy and am simply not interested anymore, it has no appeal.

You have to wonder about people's motives sometimes, when they ask a question and others go so far as to give them a ton of links of patients who have had bad outcomes. But, they still decide to go with that doctor or that clinic. There is a perspective patient on OH who says she is going to a doctor in Mexico who is doing the sleeve at a bargain basement rate. Several of Dr Aceves patients came on and told her to research more and not to go by price. Someone else, (not a Aceves patient), came on and said that Dr Aceves had in fact cut his price on the sleeve also. I came on and explained that I had just had surgery there and he had not cut his price. Several other Aceves patients came and said no he had not cut his prices, that the ad was probably referring to the lapband. One even said she went to three different websites and talked to the coordinator. The price for sleeve surgery was the same. Then this person accused all of us of being either the same poster/paid spokespersons/Aceves Cheerleaders. Sadly, with all that drama the original poster will probably go get her bargain basement sleeve, then wonder later why she is having problems. Alas, all we can do is advise and try and steer people to do thorough research. I am 24 days post procedure and have lost 22#, gone from a size 18 to a size 14, and you're damn right, I am an Aceves cheerleader!

Elisabeth, I hear ya on the "yuck" with that tang! The nurse kept bugging me about drinking more, (yeah, I know, she was just doing her job), but I couldn't tolerate the sweetness of it. So, I poured it down the sink. When she came to get my tray, she smiled and said, "Good job!" my taste for sweets is gone, still, and I am 25 days post procedure. I had to pour out my chocolate soymilk this afternoon. I used to love it, and I was going to use it as a Protein source. The sweetness of it made me nauseous. By the way, as of this morning, I am back in a size 14.

Maybe she invested with Bernie Madoff!

Just wait until she goes off of Jenny Craig and gains her weight back. Why do you think they keep changing spokes people? Have you seen Kirstie Alley lately? She's almost twice the size she was.....We've all been there.

I used to eat tomato soup everyday at work for lunch. I remember once the hospital paid for our lunch during Nurses Week. Everybody was going downstairs to get there free meal and bringing it back to the breakroom. Several of my coworkers offered to watch my patients so I could go down. But I said, "no thanks, I brought my lunch." They wondered why I just didn't leave it in the refrigerator and eat it tommorrow, since this was a free lunch. I just sat during my break and sipped my tomato soup, the one thing I knew would not cause me problems. I look back at those days and I think, how sad. I might as well have had a freaking feeding tube, since it seemed I could not, most days, tolerate solids. My band was totally unpredictable and it had nothing to do with fills. I only had one fill the whole time, and I knew, this is not for me. The night before my VSG surgery, Dr Campos took the 0.5mls out of my band, and said now, go have a nice meal. I went to the italian restaurant back at the hotel. I have never enjoyed a meal so much in my life. No sliming, no choking, no pbing, no tomato soup!

That's great Susan, You will probably lose well on the liquid post op diet too. Your statement about being embarassed in front of coworkers hit a nerve: I did a contract in Indiana over the holidays to pay for my sleeve surgery. I developed very good relationships with the nurses. On my last night, they threw a big surprise party for me. One nurse even made me barbeque. There was a ton of food. Unfortunately, it was a bad band day, and I could eat very little. I absolutely could not eat the barbeque. I felt bad because they had gone to so much trouble. Glad those band days are behind me.

Susan, Just wait until after your surgery when you're doing the 10 days of clears and the 10 days of full liquids. I stepped on the scale this morning and I now weigh 175#. That is down from a high of 193# pre surgery. It took me a solid year to lose from 191# to 171# with the lapband.

I am excited for both of ya'll. I will be getting much needed "surgery" on my hair: Cut/Color/deep conditioning, during your surgery. Will be thinking about you both.

The doctor she is going to, (Dr Aceves) is one of the best there is at revisions. He has had no leaks. Most of his practice for bariatric surgery, (he does other types of surgery too), consists of American and Canadian patients. He does a very good job of accommodating English speaking patients; most of the staff who worked with me spoke English. I am an ICU nurse in the states and I can tell you, this doctor has gotten everything down to a science, he's that good. The real measure of how good he is is how smooth others who have used him have come through this surgery. If you go to Obesity help and read on the VSG or complications board, you will never see his name. My post op course has been text book. I am 15 days post op. My incisions are healed. I have no pain. I have lost 17# Of course, I follow his post op instructions to a tee. No doctor can give you a guarantee, and things can happen even with the best doctors. But Dr Aceves comes pretty close, his stats speak for themselves.

I went out to eat with a friend a few months ago. I still had my band which as you all know prevented me from eating too fast. My friend is contemplating weight loss surgery. The way he inhaled his food was disgusting. I of course didn't say that, but I did say, "Slow down, noone is going to take your food away." I mean he had ordered soft shell crabs, fries, and he literally wolfed it down, barely chewing. His poor esophagus must be stretched out trying to accommodate all that solid food coming down. I remember thinking, did I used to eat like that? It is not pretty to witness.

The liquid Multivitamin is called Passion 4 Life and I ordered it off the internet. I have switched back to my other multivitamin which is a softgel form and I have had no problems taking it.

Hi Nevergoback, I am a band to sleeve revision. Had my surgery 3/11th. I haven't had a problem with nausea except for while in the hospital, when the cleaning lady was mopping my room, the smell of the cleaning solution made me nauseous. Other than that, no problem. The pain was more of a soreness around my incision sites. That was handled with toradol (in the hospital) and my heating pad. I have not used my heating pad or taken anything for pain since a week after the procedure. I walk everywhere, no problems there. My incisions are healed 14 days post op. I am not able to tolerate any type of sweet anything. Have had to do a lot of trial and error with the liquid and full liquid stage. Am somewhat tired, but am able to get through my day and get things done. I haven't gone back to work yet. I am never hungry, but drink and take Protein supplementation because I am supposed to. I have gone from 195# to 178#, from size 18 to a loose 16.

Hi Oregon daisy, I responded to you on another post about the loss of my sweet tooth, so I won't elaborate here. You will be able to exercise. It sounds like you were active pre sleeve, as was I, so it has been no problem going for long walks. I look forward to it because it is so beautiful outside, and since I am not hungry, I need something to do. I haven't gone back to work yet. My incision sites have also healed, 14 days out. I am just trucking along, going through the diet stages as prescribed.